Saturday, July 27, 2013

Fighting for Social Justice: Wealth Inequality in America

This morning I watched a video about the wealth inequality in the United States of America.  Through my social work classes I have learned how drastic of a disparity there is between the top 1% wealthiest Americans and the poorest Americans.  However, this video still shocked my mind and heart.  I think I was most stunned at the difference between the public's perception of the inequality and the reality of our country. 

The inequality of wealth is so much worse than what the majority of Americans perceive it to be. The video did an excellent job explaining this through stunning visual representations.  

This visual shows that the bottom 80% of Americans only hold 7% of the wealth in the U.S.  

As I watched this video I thought about the millions of Americans who are living in poverty.  The social work profession is committed to the empowerment of those who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty.  Many of my clients have fallen in the poorest categories, barely able to provide for basic needs or having to make the hard decision of buying their child's medication or putting food on the table.  It is so important to be educated on the structural inequalities as we challenge social injustices. 

I definitely recommend watching this video and let me know what you think!



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